Four people die in mining pit collapse in Plateau

Four people have died after a sand pit collapsed in Tangur community, Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The collapse happened around 2:20 p.m. on Tuesday, according to security analyst Zagazola Makama.

Mr. Makama said troops acted on reports about the sand pit collapse involving suspected illegal miners near a river in the community.

"Troops confirmed that four persons died in the incident," he said.

The victims were identified as Fahad Aliyu and three women whose names were not known at the time of this report.

Their bodies were later taken by family members for burial.

During initial inquiries, the troops spoke with the community leader, who claimed he did not know about any illegal mining in the area.

The troops are now investigating to find out more about the incident and the level of unregulated mining in the region.

This incident raises alarms about the dangers of unregulated mining, especially the threat miners face from unsafe excavation sites.

Earlier in September, a mining incident in Niger State led to the reported deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) after their arrest in two local communities.

The Niger incident also led to investigations after a survivor claimed that around 65 people were kept in one cell and that something was sprayed inside the facility. This claim has not been checked for accuracy.

Following this, the Federal Government set up a strong investigative team. The NSCDC arrested 24 personnel, including the suspended commandant for Niger State, Suberu Aniviye.

Now, the Plateau incident is under further investigation as officials look into what caused the collapse and the deaths that followed.